Undateable
by WeasleyForMe
Summary: Hermione knew better than to form a crush on any of the boys in Gryffindor house. They were all so undateable! If only there were something she could do about it... something other than fall for George!
1. Chapter 1

_Undateable by WeasleyForMe_

_Hermione knew better than to form a crush on any of the boys in Gryffindor house. They were all so undateable! If only there were something she could do about it... something other than fall for George!  
_

_Thanks to Clover Bay for inspiring and beta reading this story! _

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Hermione Granger may have been a book loving, bushy haired, know-it-all on the surface, but she was no stranger when it came to the subject matter of the opposite sex. So, perhaps she had never actually had a steady boyfriend before. And maybe her first and only kiss with Neville had been the result of a dare, but she knew a thing or two about boys. To be precise, she knew better than to form a crush on any of the boys currently in Gryffindor house! They were all, so… undateable.

From her seat in one of the straight-backed chairs in the common room, Hermione tried to focus on her History of Magic textbook but couldn't help rolling her eyes in annoyance at the conversation she overheard.

"Hey Lavender, check out my new pet. Isn't he just adorable?"

Hermione lowered her book just in time to see Ron flip his new rat, Wheezy, onto Lavender's lap, resulting in her outraged shriek and flailing arms. Wheezy was tossed unceremoniously onto the floor before scampering under a bookcase while Ron laughed raucously at his prank. Soon a few of the other boys joined in his laughter, and Hermione frowned across the room in disgust.

"Grow up, Ronald!" Lavender wailed, running up to her dormitory.

Hermione tried to tune the others out, but was rendered unsuccessful when Harry plopped down in the seat across from her. "Still studying, Hermione?" he asked kindly, pushing his glasses up his nose and awaiting a response.

Silently, Hermione studied her best friend, taking in his physical qualities. She wasn't a vain girl; it was a well known fact that Hermione Granger wasn't traditionally cute, and she was very aware. But, Harry was still very much the untidy boy he was when they started at Hogwarts. His hair stuck out in every direction and his glasses were crooked on his face and bent along his temple. Luckily he was "The-Chosen-One-Who-Could-Make-Girls-Swoon-Without-So-Much-As-Picking-Up-A-Comb".

"Hermione?" he asked again, running his hand past her eyes. "You okay?"

"Yes!" she responded sharply, feeling ashamed of her mental appraisal knowing Harry could never really come up short in her mind. "I'm fine. And you can never have too much studying." She emphasized her point by tapping the top of the text and smiling.

"Then I'll leave you to that, Smarty Pants." He grinned as she picked up the book, ignoring the nickname, before he headed over to Ron.

Just as Hermione was starting to become absorbed by the Great Goblin Uprising of 1285, all remaining peace in the Common Room was slashed by the arrival of the Weasley twins. A small explosion followed them through the portrait hole, succeeded by a trail of fireworks swirling through the air. All of the younger Gryffindors looked on in awe, obviously enthralled by the twins.

Hermione, on the other hand, caught herself half-smiling at the look of sheer mischief and joy on George Weasley's face. He had a way of brightening her mood by just being in the same room. Hermione would never admit it to anyone, but if she were to form a crush on any Gryffindor, it would be George. But of course, she did not actually have any interest of that sort in him; doing so would go against her better judgment.

"Hey, Creevey, pull my finger," Fred called to Colin and held out his hand to the younger boy. George tried to stifle his laughter as the he ran over, pleased to have their attention, and pulled Fred's finger.

"Oh no!" Colin screamed, staggering backward, holding a rubber 'severed hand' and looking to be on the verge of tears. "What have I done?"

Fred and George burst into booming laughter as Fred poked his hand down through the sleeve of his jumper. "Gotcha!" they hollered, leaning on one another to keep from falling down laughing. Colin just dropped the rubber hand and wiped a tear from his eye as he sauntered away from the ruckus, and most of the other students headed back to their assigned dormitories.

Seething, Hermione dropped her book to the table and stood. She was a Prefect after all, and the twins' inappropriate pranks had been the source of many hurt feelings. "Fred, George," she hissed as the approached them. "You need to apologize for that horrible prank!"

"Aww, come on Hermione. We didn't hurt anyone," Fred responded, batting his eyelashes.

"Yeah, it was just a little bit of fun," George reassured her. Hermione had to pry her eyes away from the dimple that appeared on his cheek when he grinned at her causing her heart to flutter.

"You need to stop it with the pranks, boys. How would you feel if someone did that to you?" she proposed, hoping to get through to them.

The twins scoffed. "Nobody could be as clever as we are, Hermione," Fred informed her.

She ran her fingers through her curly hair, her annoyance level rising with each unchecked display of immaturity. It was amazing the way none of these boys could understand why most girls gave them a wide berth. They needed to grow up!

Suddenly Lee Jordan burst into the room. "Hey guys, check this out!"

Fred, George, Harry and Ron all turned their attention to the newcomer, waiting with baited breath.

Lee grinned widely before clearing his throat. He then proceeded to belch the entire alphabet so loudly that Hermione had to clap her hands over her ears. With each additional letter that came forth from his mouth in sloppy burp format, her dismay deepened, and her appalled expression grew more intense.

"X! Y! Z!" Lee finally belched, beating on his chest to further amplify the sound of his grand finale.

Hermione gasped in shock and her jaw dropped; the boys all whooped and cheered as if Lee Jordan had just singlehandedly cured Dragon Pox in front of their very eyes.

"Very impressive!" George announced. Fred just clapped and slowly shook his head in admiration.

"You've got to teach me how to do that!" Ron exclaimed.

"Enter that in the spring talent show!" Harry encouraged.

"You're all absolutely gross, and I'm appalled by your behavior!" Hermione announced, and suddenly five pairs of eyes were fixed on her.

"What are you talking about?" Ron asked, clearly puzzled. "What did we ever do that could be appalling?"

Hermione just shook her head at him. "You're all just so… just…. Don't you get it? You need to grow up!"

"We're older than you, Hermione," Lee announced, gesturing to the twins and himself. "That makes us more mature."

"You just belched the alphabet!" Hermione informed him, jabbing her fingers into the air for emphasis.

She then turned to Ron. "If you want Lavender's attention, which I know you do, it would help if you did not throw a rat at her! Girls don't appreciate that!" Ron blushed crimson and dropped his eyes to the floor.

Next she turned to Harry. "I know you have a comb in your bedside drawer. Use it." She reached out and straightened his glasses on his nose. Harry looked surprised but began to smooth his wild hair down against his head.

"Lee, if you would just quit with the belching, Alicia would probably go out with you!" she explained. A thoughtful, faraway look appeared on his face as though such a thought had never occurred to him.

"And I'm sorry, but I doubt there's any hope left for the two of you," she said as she faced the twins. "No matter how cute the two of you happen to be, I don't think you have it in you to behave for more than ten seconds. Which is a shame, Fred, because I know for a fact that Angelina likes your sensitive side."

Fred grinned broadly. "She fancies something about me?" He wandered off and spread himself out on a loveseat, muttering to himself about Angelina Johnson fancying him.

"Wait a second… you think I'm cute!" George winked at Hermione as he reiterated her announcement.

Her eyes grew wide and she shook her head. "I didn't say that!"

"Yes you did!" George argued. The other boys dispersed, not wanting to be caught in the middle.

"I just meant that other girls fancy you and Fred," she blurted out, blushing in her indignation. Of course she didn't fancy them! That would be preposterous.

"Riiight," George drawled sarcastically with a smirk.

Hermione turned on her heel and started to march back to the table to pick up her discarded book.

"Hey Hermione, will you teach me how to be more sensitive?" Fred asked seriously from his prone position on the loveseat.

In response, she just groaned and snatched up her book before fleeing from the room. She'd had enough out of the boys to last her through the weekend!

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_Thanks for reading! Please leave a review and let me know what you think :)_


	2. Chapter 2

_Undateable by WeasleyForMe_

_Hermione knew better than to form a crush on any of the boys in Gryffindor house. They were all so undateable! If only there were something she could do about it... something other than fall for George!  
_

_Thanks to Clover Bay for inspiring and beta reading this story! _

_

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As Hermione sat at breakfast on Monday morning, nibbling on toast and skimming the _Daily Prophet_, she tried not to acknowledge all of the loud chewing and chomping all around her. Ron sat across from her, inhaling slice after slice of bacon dipped in maple syrup, practically moaning in pleasure as he filled his belly. Fred was next to Ron, noisily buttering a stack of toast and stuffing each piece into his mouth in one bite. Down the table to her right, Lee was scraping all of the porridge remaining in his bowl onto his spoon and slurping it into his mouth.

After Hermione stole a glance at Ron licking syrup from his fingers, she set her unfinished toast down. It was surprising, really, that she had any appetite at all!

"Honestly, Ron, have you ever heard of a napkin?" she asked, annoyance lacing her tone.

"A what?" Ron shrugged dumbly as his thoughts were pulled away from breakfast. "Hey, can I read your _Daily Prophet_?"

"Napkins!" Hermione picked up the stack from the middle of the table and tossed them over to him, monitoring the wiping of his hands before passing her newspaper over to him. Fred snickered at his younger brother, but Hermione just propped her elbows on the edge of the table and cradled her head in her hands.

Suddenly there was a voice next to her ear left ear. "Stressful morning, Sunshine?"

Startled, she jumped and turned to find that George had taken a seat next to her. He winked and started to pile his plate with biscuits, sausages, eggs, bacon and toast.

Hermione wasn't quite sure what to say. Had he really winked at her? She bit her lower lip in consternation. "Not too stressful until your baby brother tried to manhandle my newspaper with his syrupy hands," she informed him, raising an eyebrow at Ron. He just rolled his eyes at her as he turned the pages of the _Daily Prophet _to the sports section, dropping crumbs as he went.

"You know, we've tried for years to train him, but nothing seems to stick," George whispered for only Hermione to hear, and she laughed her first genuine laugh all morning.

"Oh, I've tried as well, but I think it just gets worse over time," she replied with a grin as George devoured his meal. "I seriously don't understand how you can eat so much! Where do you put it?" she asked, gesturing at his flat stomach.

"Hermione, if you want to check out my incredibly fit body, all you have to do is ask." He sucked in his stomach and flexed his arm for her, obviously showing off, much to the enjoyment of the rest of the Gryffindor girls as well.

Hermione managed to hide her flushed cheeks by rolling her eyes and muttering, "You'd better stop before your fan club starts to rally around us."

George looked up the table to see Romilda Vane licking her lips at him; a shudder passed through his body.

"Don't worry, George, as soon as Harry shows up, she'll forget all about you," Hermione told him, smugly. After all, she did _not _have a crush on George Weasley.

"Where is Harry anyway?" George asked, scanning the table. "I hope he's not up in his dormitory, combing his hair and tidying his appearance for you."

Hermione huffed. "It's not _my_ fault that I need to tell it like it is! I don't think any of you realize what girls actually want."

"So then tell me, Granger…what is it that you want?" George asked quietly. He had somehow managed to lean all the way toward her until she could see the golden flecks outlining his hazel eyes.

Hermione drew a deep breath, trying to fight back the urge to lean even closer to him. She was saved from providing an answer as Harry arrived at breakfast.

"Good morning," he greeted, squeezing onto the bench across from Hermione. As Harry dropped down onto the seat between Fred and Ron, he tore Hermione's attention away from George.

"Harry! You look great!" Hermione squealed at him, earning a frown from George. Harry had risen extra early and spend time combing and applying gel to his hair after his shower, and his glasses were set perfectly level on his nose.

"Thanks, Hermione," he replied, already blushing from her compliment. "I just took your advice is all."

"Harry, you look like a git," George informed him.

"Yeah, you look a little weird with your hair all nice and stuff," Ron agreed sampling a round of muffins.

"Don't listen to them!" Hermione exclaimed, discouraging the boys around her.

And Hermione had been correct. By the time lunch arrived, Harry had already been stopped in the dungeons by Parvati after Potions class. "You look nice today Harry. New robes?"

He just grinned and shook his head as he headed to lunch, but he was stopped as Ginny called his name. "Harry! Wait up!"

The youngest Weasley caught up to him and they walked together. "Your hair looks good like that," she informed him as they neared the Great Hall. He sighed contentedly, making a mental note to thank Hermione for her excellent guidance.

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"You're pretty good at avoiding questions, Granger."

Hermione looked up from her lunch to see which twin had spoken to her, and she was pleased to find that it was George.

"What are you talking about? Questions?" she asked, thoroughly puzzled.

George smiled and slid down the bench until her shoulder was touching his arm, and he could smell the floral shampoo she had used. "At breakfast you said I don't know what girls want, and I asked you want it is that you want. So tell me."

Thinking fast, Hermione smirked and made to stand. "I want to be on time for Charms. Catch you later, George."

Left alone at the table, Gorge bit into a sandwich and watched Hermione saunter away, trying to come up with something she might want that he could give.

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_Yay, Harry used a comb! More to come, but first, please leave a review!_


	3. Chapter 3

_Undateable by WeasleyForMe_

_Hermione knew better than to form a crush on any of the boys in Gryffindor house. They were all so undateable! If only there were something she could do about it... something other than fall for George!  
_

_Thanks to Clover Bay for inspiring and beta reading this story! _

_

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"Aww, come on Hermione," Fred whined as he loosened his Gryffindor coloured tie and kicked off his shoes, sitting down at the table with Hermione. He pulled his socks off right in the middle of the Common Room, much to Hermione's dismay, and she wanted so badly to be able to disappear.

Fred had been nagging at her all week long for tips to win Angelina, ever since Hermione mentioned the Gryffindor Quidditch captain liked his sensitive side. Hermione didn't want to have to break it to Fred, who was currently wiggling his bare toes in the air, that she wasn't sure he really _had_ a hidden, sensitive side at all. "She wouldn't even talk to me all day," he added. "And I have Quidditch practice with her later! What the bloody hell am I doing wrong?"

Hermione sighed, realizing she would never get to enjoy her Friday evening curled up with her Charms text unless she answered Fred's questions. "Fred, basically girls are very different than guys. Each gender is attracted by different things, and I can tell you that girls are definitely _not_ attracted to guys who rub their bare feet all over the Common Room rug. What on earth are you doing?"

Fred paused his movement, looking rather puzzled at Hermione. "I'm just cleaning the fuzz from between my toes. What does it look like I'm doing?"

"On the carpet? Shouldn't you be doing that in the shower, or at least in private?" she asked. When she only received a weird look in return, she continued. "You've just got to be more interested in what Angelina likes. You know, share some interests with her and talk about more than just Quidditch."

"Does she like anything other than Quidditch?" Fred asked, clearly baffled.

Hermione felt her patience running out when George plopped down at the table with them wearing his Quidditch practice jersey. "What are we talking about?" he asked brightly, and Hermione was thrilled to see that he didn't remove his shoes and socks. She also noted that he smelled rather nice. But she did _not_ have a crush on George. Absolutely not.

Fred grinned at his twin brother. "Hermione is giving me advice for winning the love of Angelina." A faraway, loving expression washed across his face, and Hermione realized just how important this was to him.

"Maybe you could hang around after practice and shower in the locker room with the team instead of slouching back into the Common Room all stinky and sweaty. That way you could walk back with her. Also, find out what she likes and get involved," Hermione reiterated. "Um, and try not to just go around pulling your shoes off and cleaning your feet in front of her."

"She won't like that?" Fred asked.

George snickered. "No, she won't like that, and I doubt she would enjoy you belching in front of her."

"You know, I just don't understand girls at all," Fred commented. "If Hermione here were to belch in front of me, I'd marry her in an instant." Fred winked causing Hermione's cheeks to turn pink, and George just glared at them both.

"Well if you're done flirting here, you'd better get ready for Quidditch practice," George announced, wishing Fred would leave him alone with Hermione. He didn't appreciate the flirtation; Angelina was very sweet and pretty, but he didn't want his twin to become distracted by the cute little bookworm.

"Yeah, I guess so. Angelina doesn't like it when we're late," Fred said, another lovesick look in his eyes as he left for his dorm.

"You coming too?" George asked Hermione.

"Me? To practice?" she asked. "Not likely. I don't even like Quidditch."

"Well, I certainly think you could come to enjoy it. Besides, I hear there are some really good looking guys on the Gryffindor team." George's big, toothy grin made Hermione laugh.

"So I've heard," she responded vaguely. "I guess I should come down to the pitch just in case Fred needs a pep talk about Angelina."

"Can't leave ol' Freddy hanging," Fred announced, adding to their conversation as he reappeared in his practice uniform. He handed George one of the broomsticks he was carrying and slung the other over his shoulder.

George stood along with Hermione and the trio headed out the portrait hole. He watched the way her jeans hugged her hips as they walked, and suddenly he was nervous that she was only joining them to spend time with Fred. It took him nearly the entire walk to the Quidditch pitch, listening to them talking about Angelina's likes and dislikes, to convince himself that his twin was not a threat.

Feeling much more cheerful, George guided Hermione toward a bench near the top of the stands. "You'll want to sit up nice and high to get a better view of me," he informed her with one last world-class smile before joining his teammates on the turf.

Ron and Harry waved up to Hermione, seemingly puzzled as to their best friend being in attendance, but George stood in front of them and imagined her return wave was just for him.

"Oi! Listen up!" Angelina called to her team, gaining their attention along with a huge smile from Fred. "Today we're going to give it all we have! Next weekend is the match against Ravenclaw, and we need to be able to tear them apart! Just remember: Team Work is the ability to work together towards a common goal...With that nothing is impossible!"

"Wow, Angie, that was so deep," Fred told her, admiringly.

"It was a poem, Fred." Angelina was blunt, at best, as she started to send her team to their proper locations. Hermione could see Fred's face fall in the afternoon sunlight, so she called down to him and gave him a reassuring thumbs up.

His smile returned. "At least now I know she likes poetry!" he called up the stands in a loud whisper meant just for Hermione, as he hopped on his broom and took off with his Beater's bat.

Surprisingly, Hermione really enjoyed watching the team practice. But she refused to admit to herself that most of the time her attention strayed back to George in spite of all her efforts. He was strong and fast and exciting to watch. He even managed to block a bludger that was headed toward her seat, and she shot him a thankful smile which he returned in spades.

"What are you doing, Hermione?" she muttered to herself. "These boys are undateable and stinky and annoying."

She knew she was wrong; George didn't exactly fall into the same category as the others. She had tried to write him off as a popular jock in the past, but he was more than her friend's cute, older brother. Perhaps that was why she couldn't focus on the others. As practice came to an end, Hermione vowed that she would come to another one and at least attempt to learn the rules of the game. At the very least, it would be an education experience, and she would be able to watch George more often.

"Great teamwork everyone! Hit the locker room!" Angelina called as she landed back on the turf and started toward the showers. Fred followed her from the instant she landed until she ducked into the girls' half of the locker room.

Hermione decided to hang around outside until the team emerged so she had someone with whom she could walk back to the castle. Fred was the first to arrive, all clean with his hair combed. "Has she come out yet?" he hissed, nodding his head toward the girls' door.

"No, she hasn't," Hermione told him, laughing at his maniacal look. "Now you know she probably likes poetry, and she's also a great team captain, so why don't you see what else you can find out about her." She tried to be reassuring until the topic of conversation exited the locker room as well.

"Wotcher, Hermione," Angelina greeted. "Enjoy practice? You don't usually watch."

"Hey, Angelina," she returned with a smile while Fred interrupted nervously.

"Wanna walk back with me, Angie?"

"Uh, sure Fred. But I have to get right back to the Common Room and start my Advanced Astronomy homework," she told him.

Hermione watched as they started to walk toward the castle entrance, quite proud of the way Fred was engaging in conversation.

"How's the happy couple?"

Hermione jumped when George whispered in her ear. "Sweet Merlin, you scared me! But, I think they are getting on well. Fred was even almost polite just now."

George chuckled as they started to walk up the slight hill toward the castle. "He's just so enamored by Angie, has been for a few years. He always ends up just embarrassing himself though."

"He just needs a few lessons on the girlier side of life," Hermione told George. "He's not hopeless; he just needed to hear from me that girls don't like stinky, linty feet!"

George laughed deeply. "Well if girls don't like that, what do they like?" he asked.

Hermione scrunched her brow and considered his question. "Girls like it when a guy holds the door for them, and doesn't make fun of them for doing their homework. And it's always nice when someone tells you that your blouse looks pretty or something like that. Also, intelligent guys are attractive, and manners are a must-have. But," she paused for a moment, "I happen to like it when a guy can make me feel funny and special, because I'm always just a bookworm."

She blushed, realizing she'd probably given too much away, and ducked her head shyly missing the thoughtful look George cast her way.

"Interesting. All very interesting," George replied, hurrying forward to hold the door for her. She had given him plenty to consider.

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_Thanks for reading! Please leave a review... I'd love to know that you think! _


	4. Chapter 4

_Undateable by WeasleyForMe_

_Hermione knew better than to form a crush on any of the boys in Gryffindor house. They were all so undateable! If only there were something she could do about it... something other than fall for George!  
_

_Thanks to Clover Bay for inspiring and beta reading this story! _

_

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As she perused the familiar bookcases in Hogwarts' vast library, Hermione found herself inexplicably drawn to the Athletics and Leisure section. More specifically, she was reaching for a guide book called _A Beginner's Guide to_ _Quidditch Rules and Regulations_.

Her sudden interest in the game that had enthralled Harry and Ron since the beginning of their education had something to do with attending Gryffindor's team practice the previous evening. More specifically, it had to do with watching George.

As Hermione started to pull the tome from the shelf, she felt a hand clasp her shoulder. "Hermione! There you are!"

She whirled around and dropped the book onto the floor with a loud thunk, coming face to face with Lee Jordan.

"You scared me!" she hissed, using the loudest, permissible 'library voice'.

Lee bent to pick up the book and hand it to Hermione. "I'm sorry, but I need your help." He glanced at the animated Quidditch players on the cover and asked, "And why are you reading books on Quidditch? I didn't think you liked it."

Hermione blushed and thrust the book into the stack of others she meant to check out. "Never you mind about that," she whispered. "What did you need my help with?" she asked, hoping to change the subject as they headed toward the exit.

Lee waited quietly while Madam Pince recorded the books Hermione was borrowing from the library, and then he picked up half of her stack and received a smile of thanks from Hermione.

Once they were out in the corridor headed back to their common room, library books in tow, Lee started to fill her in. "Well you know how you said Alicia might like me a bit more if I stopped belching the alphabet?"

Hermione nodded, trying to suppress the giggles she felt forming.

"Well, I stopped belching, and she still doesn't seem interested! I want to ask her to go to Hogsmeade with me next Saturday, but last month when I asked, she turned me down flat." Lee sighed deeply. "I think maybe she likes Roger Davies," he mused aloud.

"Davies? Why would you think that?" Hermione asked, struggling with the portion of the books she was carrying, grateful that Lee was helping her.

"They're lab partners in our Potions class," he sneered. "Davies always looks at her with his stupid little grin, and he's really smart at Potions, almost as smart as Alicia. And last month in Hogsmeade, they had tea together at Madam Puddifoot's, and he walked her back to the castle."

"Oh," Hermione said, trying to think of some encouraging words for Lee.

"I should probably just give up now," he concluded, and Hermione noticed the immediate slump of his shoulders.

As they paused for a set of moving stairs, inspiration struck Hermione. "Don't give up, Lee. Alicia will come around, I'm certain. Maybe you just need to change your tactics."

"You think?"

"Sure. Now tell me exactly how you asked her out last time," Hermione told him.

"After the Quidditch match against Hufflepuff, I asked her, 'Oi! Alicia! Wanna go to Hogsmeade with me?'"

Hermione couldn't hold back her laughter this time.

"What? Is there something wrong with that?" Lee questioned.

Hermione turned to him and smiled once they had reached the portrait of the Fat Lady. "You've just got to ask her nicely. And don't do it after a Quidditch match in front of everyone. Just be yourself and say something like 'Alicia, I would very much enjoy your company in Hogsmeade next Saturday. Would you like to go with me?' I think your odds would greatly improve, Lee."

While Lee visibly absorbed this new information, Hermione muttered "Mimbulus mimbletonia," and the portrait opened into the common room.

"You know, you just may be right, Hermione. I'll give it a shot!" Lee set Hermione's books on one of the study tables and dashed off to find Alicia.

"Boys," Hermione muttered to herself as she shook her head. She would simply never understand them.

She settled into one of the chairs at the table and opened _A Beginner's Guide to_ _Quidditch Rules and Regulations _as the last rays of the evening sun started to fade. Hermione was three chapters into the book, starting to learn more about Quidditch equipment, before she even paused to see how far she had read. As with any subject that caught her interest, she became absorbed by the information provided to her.

"Interesting…" she murmured to herself. She never knew there were ten different fouls that a referee could call, or that the Snitch wasn't really made out of gold.

Suddenly, Hermione felt as though someone was standing very close to her. She quickly turned her head to find George reading over her shoulder. He was leaning so far over the back of her chair that their noses were almost touching.

He grinned brightly at her. "Hermione, what's with your sudden interest in Quidditch?" he asked innocently.

Hermione quickly thrust the book into her bag and kicked it under the table. "I have no idea what you're talking about, George," she squeaked, hurriedly picking up a book on ancient runes and skimming through it.

"If you wanted to know about Quidditch, you could have just asked me," he told her sincerely.

Hermione was having a difficult time concentrating as he took at seat on the table. "If I should ever acquire such an interest, I'll let you know," she muttered, pretending to be absorbed in the new book.

"Well, I'm heading up to the Astronomy Tower, and I would invite you, but you look quite busy."

Intrigued that he would think to invite her, she asked, "Why are you going stargazing?"

George snorted. "Fred had an epiphany last night after walking back with Angelina. Your advice helped him immensely; he's claiming he owes you his firstborn child or some such nonsense. Anyway, he's decided to learn more about Angie's interests, so he's getting a jump on his Astronomy homework, since it's his favorite topic."

Hermione was still confused. "But why are _you _going stargazing? And where has Fred been all day with his firstborn. I'm going to be collecting on that!"

George laughed. "Fred has detention and begged me to do some research and start our class work. Angie starts her homework early, and he wants to be able to impress her."

Hermione smiled; she always knew she like Angelina for a reason, and perhaps that was because they both worked on their homework early. "Fred is quite taken with her, isn't he?" she asked, finally setting down the book she was still holding.

George held her eye contact for a moment before answering. "Yes, I suppose he is." He couldn't help but lose his thoughts while gazing into her cinnamon coloured eyes, and the corners of his mouth quirked up as he noticed the dusting of freckles across Hermione nose and cheeks. She was too adorable for her own good. "So, do you want to come?" he asked, forcing himself to focus.

"To the Astronomy Tower?" she asked quietly, enjoying the rumble of his deep voice.

"Yup. Two researchers are better than one," he informed her with a wink, holding out his hand to her which she promptly took.

With a smile Hermione stood while George jumped down from the table top and they walked toward the portrait hole together.

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_Thanks for reading! Please leave a review :)_


	5. Chapter 5

_Undateable by WeasleyForMe_

_Hermione knew better than to form a crush on any of the boys in Gryffindor house. They were all so undateable! If only there were something she could do about it... something other than fall for George!  
_

_Thanks to Clover Bay for inspiring and beta reading this story! _

_

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_

George felt warmer than he had in a very long time, which surprised him as he lay on the stone floor of the astronomy tower. Stargazing with Hermione Granger was a treat and a half. He listened intently as his companion, who was sprawled out next to him, pointed up, tracing another constellation with her small hand.

"That's Capricorn, over to the left," she informed him. "And over there is Sagittarius. It takes the shape of an archer. See?"

George was having a hard time focusing on the night sky. "No, show me again," he muttered turning his head to smile apologetically at Hermione. She smiled back, and to his surprise, she took his right hand in her left and used his hand to trace the pattern that formed many light-years above them.

"There's the archer, and that star right there is the tip of his bow. He's about to shoot an arrow toward Gemini," she whispered, gently guiding his hand with her own. She could feel a prickle on the back of her neck and barely contained the shutter that shook her body as George let his hand trail down her arm before releasing her.

"I think I've got it now. And I know all about Gemini, with the twin business and whatnot," he told her with a wink. The pale moonlight hid some of his expression from her, but she caught his wink and chuckled.

"Last week during my Astronomy midterm, I had to draw Gemini, and of course I thought of you and Fred." She turned her head back to the velvety blue sky.

"So, do you often think about me during your classes?" George asked her casually. Almost instantly he felt a thwack on his arm as Hermione playfully hit him. "Calm yourself, Hermione. It was just a simple question. Would you say that you think about me during every class, or one class per day? Or something in between?"

Hermione snorted. "I'm usually thinking about class when I'm in class. Don't flatter yourself too much, George." She tried to keep up a playful tone, but she was becoming aware that she _did_ think about George during classes. Just a few days ago she caught a glimpse of red hair during Charms, and was sad to see that it was just Ron coming into the classroom. Then when she was looking through her History of Magic text, she came across the battles of the _Georg_ian Era, and her mind wandered away from history and directly to George.

She was in trouble.

"Fine, but tell me why you were reading a Quidditch guide?" he asked pointedly.

Hermione bit her lip. "Isn't a girl allowed to expand her horizons?"

"Definitely, but if you are interested in Quidditch, you can always ask me. Unless you're suddenly interested because of a certain redheaded player…." George trailed off, hoping to bait Hermione.

She swiftly turned her head to face him where they were laying. "How did you know I have a crush on Fred?" she asked sharply.

"Fred?" he cried in angry shock. "You have a crush on Fred?"

Hermione laughed hysterically at the stunned confusion on George's face and rolled onto her side trying to catch her breath. "No, I don't! But the look on your face was priceless!" she managed in the midst of her laughter.

"Oh, you dirty, rotten…" he started, but she cut him off.

"Why would you care if I did?" she asked, wiping the tears of laughter from her eyes.

"I wouldn't…. it's just that, he likes Angie, and I wouldn't want you to get hurt," he managed lamely. "Anyway, have any Quidditch questions for me?"

"Yes, actually. I read that the Seeker is allowed to fly as high as he or she can in order to find the Snitch. What keeps the Snitch in the atmosphere? Is it charmed? Wouldn't that break the basic rules of the game?"

"That's a very good question…" George proceeded to fill her in on the finer points of the Seeker position and everything that it entailed. They lay like that, on the stone floor, under the cloudless night sky, until they heard the bell tower chime that it was eleven at night.

"It's getting late, and we didn't finish the star chart for Fred," Hermione interjected, worried about being out after curfew.

"It's ok, you're a Prefect, and we only have one constellation left."

Together they found Taurus and pointed out all of the major and minor stars it was comprised of. After filling in the last item on the star chart, Hermione rolled to her left, making to stand, at the same instant George rolled to his right. Hermione drew in a deep breath; her nose was inches away from his, and his gaze was darting from her eyes to her lips.

In an instant, she felt his lips brush against hers, and it felt like the velvety sky was draped over her entire self. George's movements were soft and tentative, demanding nothing from her, but she felt the sudden burning desire to reciprocate.

Shocked, George accepted the pressure that Hermione added to his spur of the moment kiss, beyond thankful that he had shut his brain off and followed his heart. She leaned toward him, deepening what he had started, and he gently parted his lips as he felt her tiny hand on his.

A wolf howled deep in the Forbidden Forest, registering in her subconscious, and with one last brush of her lips against his, she pulled away from him.

"It's late," she whispered.

George didn't want to leave, but he slowly nodded in agreement. Without another word, they both stood, and George guided her down the dark staircase and held the door open for her. Hermione blushed the entire way back to Gryffindor Tower, stealing a few silent glances at George as they walked.

"About that kiss," George whispered, uncertain of what Hermione was thinking. "I hope I wasn't too out of line."

Hermione smiled at him as she whispered the password to open the Common Room door. "Well, I wasn't expecting it, but it was definitely-"

"Hermione!" Lee shouted and ran across the Common Room, nearly knocking George out of the way. He scooped the younger Prefect up in his arms and spun her around.

"Lee!" Hermione screeched. "What are you doing?"

Lee set her back down on the crimson rug and kissed her cheek several times. George felt his stomach clench at the sight of his friend grabbing all over Hermione, and he felt like kicking something.

"It worked! You're a genius!" Lee informed her. Then he added in a whisper just for her, "Alicia said yes, and she is going to be my Hogsmeade date next weekend!"

"Excellent!" Hermione beamed at Lee and enveloped his midsection in a hug.

George stormed off to bed, wondering where his anger and jealousy had come from. All he knew was that he couldn't stand another moment of watching Hermione with Lee.

"What's gotten into him?" Lee asked, jerking his head in the direction of a fuming George.

Hermione felt her heart drop. She hadn't even had the chance to tell him that his kiss was delightfully more than welcome.

"Well whatever it is, I'm sure he'll sort it out. Good night, Hermione!" Lee called as he left for his dormitory.

Hermione was left alone in the Common Room, vastly more confused than when her day had started.

* * *

_Thanks for reading! Please review and let me know what you think so far, and share your ideas!_


	6. Chapter 6

_Undateable by WeasleyForMe_

_Hermione knew better than to form a crush on any of the boys in Gryffindor house. They were all so undateable! If only there were something she could do about it... something other than fall for George!  
_

_Thanks to Clover Bay for inspiring and beta reading this story! _

_

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_

"What was that for?" George snarled nastily when Lee emerged in the seventh year boys' dormitory with a smile on his face.

"Come again?" Lee asked, his smile wavering as he loosened his crimson and gold tie. He looked around the room, suddenly wishing Fred were also present; the look in George's face spelled out nothing but trouble.

"I'm talking about your little escapades with Hermione. Do you really have to be so touchy-feely with her in front of everyone?" George asked Lee, his tone low and harsh. He realized that although he fancied Hermione he had no claims on her whatsoever, and he couldn't keep all of the other blokes from showing an interest in her. "Whatever. You like her. Fine. Just keep it to yourself."

He slammed his school bag against his nightstand and climbed into bed, practically ripping the curtains around this large four-poster closed. Lee scratched his head for a moment before quietly getting ready for bed himself.

* * *

Hermione hadn't spoken to George once since the evening they spent on the top of the Astronomy Tower. She had, however, seen plenty of Lee. And it seemed as though every time she and Lee got to talking, George would sulk past them and leave. It also wasn't helping that the boys were taking up so much of her time.

"Hey, Hermione," Ron called to her on Wednesday evening in the Common Room. "Girls like flowers, right?"

"Yes, of course they do, Ronald," she answered him without looking up from her textbook. She was starting to find her Astronomy assignments even more interesting since spending time stargazing with George.

"All kinds of flowers?" he asked her.

Sighing, Hermione set her book down. "Yes, pretty much all kinds of flowers."

"Unless of course they happen to be Instant Allergy Flowers made by the world famous Weasley twins!" Fred informed them, plopping down in the chair next to Hermione. "Girls abhor them," he added with a smile.

"Thanks," Ron muttered and wandered away, lost in thought.

"Hermione, I meant to thank you sooner for helping George with the star charts the other night," Fred told her sweetly. "They really helped me get some extra points with Angelina." There was a starry, faraway look in his green eyes every time he mentioned his crush. They had spent a considerable amount of time together the past few days, and luckily Fred was following Hermione's advice. Angie finally seemed to be showing some interest.

"You're welcome, Fred. Um, speaking of George, have you seen him lately?" she asked nervously. She hated to blame Lee for keeping George away from her, but she didn't know what other reason he had for avoiding her.

"I haven't seen him since class earlier. He's been a little bit distant this week, yeah?" Fred asked her thoughtfully. "Maybe he's having girl issues. I think he just needs to find himself a nice date for Hogsmeade on Saturday and have a good snog."

Snogging with George had been on her mind all week, and Hermione's heart skipped a beat at the thought of spending a day away from school with George. "So he doesn't have a date yet?" she asked quietly.

"I don't believe so, but I'm going to go search out my darling brother and help him remedy that," Fred told her with a wink. "Thanks again."

Hermione scooped up her library books and headed out through the portrait hole, trying to come up with the best way to ask George to Hogsmeade. Never in all of her years at school had she dreamed that she would be in such a position where asking one of the Weasley twins on a date would seem so natural.

It was all because of that kiss they had shared. And now she could no longer convince herself that she had no interest in any of the Gryffindor boys.

She reached the library before she knew she had left Gryffindor tower, and she laughed at herself for instinctively walking to the library.

"Good evening Miss Granger," Madam Pince whispered, taking the stack of Quidditch books that Hermione handed her. Hermione whispered a greeting at the elderly librarian as she checked the books back into the school's magical library system. Just as she turned to leave, she noticed Ginny was headed toward the exit, and she waited for her friend to catch up with her.

"Hermione, I don't know what you've done to those boys, but it's a miracle," Ginny exclaimed once they were headed back toward their common room.

"What are you on about, Gin?"

"The boys, all of them, they are acting…well, civilized! I asked Fred what was going on, and he said that you're helping them learn what girls want. Hermione, you're a genius!"

Hermione laughed at her friend's exuberance. "And things are good with Harry?"

Ginny blushed and turned toward Hermione. "He asked me out on a proper date, to Hogsmeade! He's been so sweet to me, and he started brushing his hair! Oh, I even heard that Ron is picking a bouquet of flowers for Lavender. Imagine, Ron doing something nice!"

"Hard to believe," Hermione added as they entered the noisy Common Room.

"And, all of the girls are talking about George, too. It seems as though he's the only one who hasn't paired off with anyone, and the vultures, I mean the lovely ladies of Gryffindor, are starting to take notice. Well, see you later, Hermione!"

She watched Ginny walk away, but it took a few moments to register in her mind that she was standing there alone. The other girls were starting to take notice. She had to act fast.

* * *

"I don't know, Fred. It sounds awkward," George told his twin.

"It'll be great. I promise," Fred reassured him. "You'll do it, and you'll love it, and I'll owe you one. Let me go make the final plans with Angelina."

"Whatever," George muttered, pulling on his sweater and heading out to serve his detention with Professor McGonagall.

He'd been in a foul mood all week, and this detention was making him crankier. When he started to walk through the Common Room, he realized that Hermione was standing just inside the door. His heart leapt, and he wanted to rush over and start another round of kissing.

"George!" she called when she noticed him. Her cheeks started to flush as she watched him walk over, and he didn't have any words to say, so he just nodded.

"Hey, I was just wondering," she began, fiddling with the strap on her school bag, "if you'd like to get lunch with me in Hogsmeade this weekend." She looked up at him with her warm, chocolate coloured eyes, and he knew he was thoroughly ruined.

"Oh, wow," he muttered, trying to calm his heartbeat. "I've actually already got a date, Hermione."

"Oh," was all she could manage as she felt her heart sinking.

"Yeah. But Lee is probably interested," George added, feeling upset, jealous and betrayed all at the same time. He had replayed their kiss on the Astronomy Tower in his mind all week, and now he couldn't even accept her invitation.

"Maybe next time, then," she whispered before heading toward the stairs.

George hoped to Merlin that there would be a next time.

* * *

_I feel like a meanie for stopping the chapter there, but it will pick up again with the Hogsmeade trip! I hope you're enjoying the story... please leave me a tiny little review if you have a chance!_


	7. Chapter 7

_Undateable by WeasleyForMe_

_Hermione knew better than to form a crush on any of the boys in Gryffindor house. They were all so undateable! If only there were something she could do about it... something other than fall for George!  
_

_Thanks to Clover Bay for inspiring and beta reading this story! _

_

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_

By the time Saturday morning rolled around, Hermione found herself alone in the Gryffindor common room without a date for the Hogsmeade trip. She had asked Harry, Ron, and even Neville, but they had all managed to snag dates for themselves. Although she was happy for them, the idea of picking out new quills and books all by her lonesome made her feel useless.

And the whole matter of George was starting to annoy her. If she had known he was interested in dating another girl, she wouldn't have asked him. And why would he think she wanted to go with Lee?

She sat on one of the worn, crimson loveseats pulling on her trainers when Lee bounded down from the boys dormitories. "Oi, Hermione!" he called and sat next to her, wrapping an arm tightly around her shoulders. "I owe you one, bestest of best mates." He winked and she couldn't help but laugh. He was ridiculously happy to be spending the day with Alicia, and Hermione help at least partly responsible for getting them together.

"Where is Alicia, anyway?" Hermione asked as they both stood.

Lee grinned. "Probably spending a few extra minutes to make sure she looks extra good for yours truly," he informed her jokingly. Just then, Alicia strode easily into the room and smiled at Lee.

"Hi, Hermione," Alicia said as she took Lee's outstretched hand. "Are you joining us today?"

Hermione looked at the openly inviting faces of both Alicia and Lee. "No, I don't want to impose, but thanks," she told them. "Maybe I'll see you at the Three Broomsticks later though."

"Have fun!" Lee and Alicia called as the exited through the portrait hole.

Hermione sighed. This was going to be a long day

* * *

George was miserable. This would without a doubt be the longest trip to Hogsmeade in the course of his school career. Part of him would rather be serving a detention with Snape all day. He quickly tried to think of a way to earn a detention and escape his fate, but it was too late.

Fred had been wrong, very wrong; he had somehow managed to make his twin believe that a blind double-date would be a good idea. Not only had Hermione actually asked him out after he had already agreed, but Angelina's 'friend' turned out to be none other than Romilda Vane, the most annoying girl in Gryffindor House.

George scowled as she wrapped her arm around his as they walked toward the shops in downtown Hogsmeade. "I'm just so thrilled to be with you today, George," she whispered to him as the four of them entered Madam Puddifoot's and headed for a table.

George just grunted in response and scowled at all of the hearts adorning every surface inside the tea shop.

"I always thought this place was a little tacky, but they have good sandwiches," Angelina said as the four of them sat at a tiny table in the cramped shop.

Fred sat down, mesmerized by everything Angelina was telling him about tomorrow's Quidditch match they had against Ravenclaw. George vowed that if he didn't love his twin so much, he would flip the table over and run out of the shop, far away from Romilda who was batting her eyelashes at him.

George cleared his throat and called the waitress over. "I'll have four sandwiches, please." He allowed the rest of his group to order before pouring them some cups of tea. Romilda deftly grasped his hand and ran her fingers over his skin. George didn't know if he should pretend he liked it for Fred's sake or start yelling.

"They look so happy together," Romilda commented, nodding across the table to Fred and Angelina who were laughing at a private joke. "I'm sure we look like quite a smashing couple as well," she told him with a wink. She tossed her dark curls over her shoulder, and George noticed that they were nowhere near as glossy as Hermione's ringlets, and her smile didn't look at bright as Hermione's.

"Riiight," he mumbled as he sipped his tea and removed his hand from hers.

Undaunted, Romilda said, "You know, it seems as though you Gryffindor boys are much more courteous than you had been. I heard that Hermione managed to hook up Harry and Ginny, and Ron and Lavender. She's a pretty smart girl."

"The smartest," George added sharply.

"Yes, well, it seems as though her plan to make the guys more appealing has backfired."

"How so?"

Romilda smiled a vicious smile. "Because she's here without a date while all of the other girls are reaping the benefits."

George glared at Fred, and instantly Fred could tell that his twin was not enjoying himself. With a light nod, Fred informed him that he should do whatever he needed to. All would be forgiven later.

"Excuse me please, I need to use the restroom," George announced before standing. He could feel Romilda's eyes on him as he walked to the back of the tea shop.

When he opened the door to the restroom, he literally ran right into Lee. "Hey, mate! What's up?" Lee asked happily, as he was having a delightful day.

George glared at his friend. "What's up? Actually I'm on the date from hell. That's what's up. And why aren't you here with Hermione?"

Lee cocked his head slightly. "Because I'm here with Alicia?" His answer sounded more like a question.

"Come on, you can't go hugging and kissing a girl and not ask her to Hogsmeade!" George raged. "I can tell you like Hermione, so just get on with it!"

"I never kissed her anywhere but on the cheek! And that was only because she got Alicia to finally say yes when I asked her out!" Lee promised, holding his hands up innocently.

George stood dumbly in the middle of the restroom. "You and Alicia? Not Hermione?"

"Yes!" Lee practically shouted. "And if you were to follow your own rule about hugging and kissing a girl, then you would be here with a completely different girl, mate." He clapped George on the back. "But I'm pretty sure you can figure out what to do."

Lee left him standing alone with Hermione's words of advice echoing through his head. "_Girls like it when guys are sweet and say nice things about the way they look. They like it when guys hold the door open for them and give them flowers and poems. The worst is a guy who belches and eats like a pig."_

Suddenly George's face lit up. He had a whole new outlook on his current situation. He squared his shoulders and made his way back to the table and his date.

* * *

_Thanks for all of the reviews for the last chapter! _

_I hope you're still enjoying the story... the next chapter will deal with George's lovely date ;) Also, I made sure to add some Lee/Hermione friendship moments just especially for Preetoaka Raven Potter Weasley! _

_Don't forget to review!_


	8. Chapter 8

_Undateable by WeasleyForMe_

_Hermione knew better than to form a crush on any of the boys in Gryffindor house. They were all so undateable! If only there were something she could do about it... something other than fall for George!  
_

_Thanks to Clover Bay for inspiring and beta reading this story! _

_

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_

"Oh, great! The sandwiches are here! I'm starving!" Tucking a napkin into his shirt collar, George lunged into his chair and devoured one of his sandwiches in a single bite. He attacked his meal with gusto, seemingly much happier with his food than his date, a fact which did not go unnoticed by Fred and Angelina.

He smiled as he chewed, showing off the bits of bread and watercress from his lunch. "Eat up, Romilda! Whatever is left on your plate in five minutes is mine!" With another big bite, only two of his four sandwiches remained, and Romilda shakily picked up her soup spoon and started to eat. She tried to ignore the sound of George's lips smacking off his fingertips as he inhaled each stray crumb.

Fred and Angelina ate their sandwiches daintily and kicked each other under the tabletop whenever they threatened to start giggling out loud. It was a fact that nobody could eat quite like a Weasley, but George was clearly going overboard as he stacked his final two turkey sandwiches together and took a noisy bite.

"Mmm, oh, this is so tasty. Want a bite?" George asked with his mouth full. He thrust his double-decker sandwich at his date who promptly shook her head looking outraged. "Suit yourself," he mumbled around the partly chewed food before scarfing down the rest.

It was sort of mean, even George realized that. But he didn't want to be here with this girl, and she had a long track record of 'collecting' the most popular boys at Hogwarts, and he didn't want to be involved. He'd have to ask Angelina why on Merlin's green earth she was hanging around such a silly bint.

With a wink across the table at Fred and Angelina, George announced, "Times up!" He grabbed the soup spoon out of his date's hand and pulled to bowl across the table toward himself. Romilda gasped as George scooped several spoonfuls of broth into his mouth, catching a fair amount of liquid on his makeshift bib.

"I wasn't done with that," she complained unhappily.

"Five minutes was up, babe," George reminded her. "This isn't very good," he told everyone as he frowned at the soup.

"My soup was just fine, George," Angelina told him as she bit her lip to keep from laughing.

"Obviously, girls have horrible taste in food, Angelina," he replied, grinding up several crackers with his hands and spraying the crumbs all over Romilda's lap. "Whoops! That was supposed to go into the bowl," George laughed merrily before upending the remainder of the soup from the bowl into his mouth. He wiped his mouth with his sleeve and looked around the table.

"Get enough to eat there, George?" Fred asked overly politely.

"No, but I figured we can stop for second lunch at the Three Broomsticks in about an hour. Now, who's ready to shop for Quidditch supplies until second lunch?" George asked, rubbing his palms together in anticipation. In reality, his stomach was about to burst, having eaten so much in under ten minutes, and he was hoping to have a chance to talk to Hermione.

"Sounds good. I need new gloves for the match tomorrow," Angelina agreed.

"A whole hour shopping for Quidditch stuff?" Romilda asked, clearly not enjoying her date.

"Right you are. Now why don't you go ask the waitress for the bill?" George prompted, sending her away from the table.

"What in the heavens has gotten into you?" Fred asked with a laugh as soon as Romilda was across the restaurant.

"She's horrible, and I realized I want to spend the day with another girl. Honestly Angie, are you really friends with her?" George asked, rather upset.

Angelina shrugged. "She's not so bad. I wouldn't say I'm great friends with her, but I've shared a dormitory with her for so long that you just get used to her. Besides, she really wanted to go out with you. I'm sorry you're having such an incredibly bad time."

"Actually, it's kind of fun. Just help me ditch her," George whispered as Romilda returned to the table. She passed the bill around and Fred and Angelina added money to the pile.

"George, you owe two galleons and seven sickles," Romilda informed him.

"I'm not paying for your soup. It was horrible. And besides, I only have two galleons on me today." He set the galleons down and started for the door. Begrudgingly, Romilda added seven sickles to the pile of money and followed him out.

"Oh, don't walk over there. It's about to smell wretched," George informed her as he skirted the last table by the door. She raised an eyebrow in question, so he mouthed that he had just passed gas. Romilda ran outside holding her breath and looking on the verge of tears. George could barely contain his mirth; this date was like an unanticipated prank gone completely right!

As George belched and picked food out of his teeth, the group headed toward the Quidditch shop. "Do we have a minute to look in Gladrags first?" Romilda asked. "I wanted to look at a lovely set of red, formal robes they have."

Angelina glanced at her watch. "I don't know… George gets really cranky if his second lunch isn't on schedule."

"No, we have no extra time. Besides, I can't stand it when girls wear red," George informed her, flicking a bit of turkey from his mouth onto the sidewalk.

Romilda stopped in her tracks and looked down at her red outfit with a scowl. "Really? Then pray tell, George, what do you like? Obviously, you've got no manners, contrary to popular belief. I was hoping you'd dote on me, like you clearly should, but you're being absolutely ridiculous! You owe me seven sickles! And you eat like a pig!" Romilda shouted at George who was standing just a few feet away.

He felt so badly that he immediately wanted to apologize, at least for eating like a troll. But, on the other hand, he needed to be rid of her. "Now who is being rude, Romilda? You had the audacity to wear a red dress today, and now you're cutting into our shopping time.

She snarled in disgust. "You're the most undateable man I have ever seen!" she announced and stomped away.

George watched her go and shook his head. "You know, I was hoping it would at least be a little more difficult than that to make her run away. I didn't think I was being _so_ bad, really."

Angelina shook her head. "The two of you can certainly accomplish anything you put your minds to."

"That was so sweet, Angie," Fred told her with a grin.

"If you ever do that to me while we're dating, I'll have you kicked off the team."

"So does that mean you'll be my girlfriend?" Fred exclaimed.

"I didn't say that…."

George rolled his eyes. "I'm still standing right here, you do realize that, right?"

"Yeah, so why don't you get lost?" Fred asked, shaking his head toward the other side of the road.

"Hermione is waiting for you somewhere, after all," Angelina added, hoping to be alone with Fred.

George paused. "How did you know I wanted to be with Hermione?"

Angelina smiled. "A woman's intuition. Besides, haven't you noticed she's formed an interest in Quidditch because of you? Now go find her."

George hugged Angelina and gave his twin a loud kiss on the cheek before heading into the center of Hogsmeade in search of his favourite bookworm.

* * *

_Wow, everyone outdid themselves with the reviews for chapter seven! I was so excited to see them all :) I figured I'd better not keep anyone waiting too long for the next one!_

_ I hope this chapter gets as much love! I had way too much fun writing it! Please review!_


	9. Chapter 9

_Undateable by WeasleyForMe_

_Hermione knew better than to form a crush on any of the boys in Gryffindor house. They were all so undateable! If only there were something she could do about it... something other than fall for George!_

_Thanks to Clover Bay for inspiring and beta reading this story! _

_

* * *

_

George had really messed up his date with Romilda, and he couldn't have been prouder! Although he had no intention of terrorizing all of the Gryffindor females by tapping into his rude persona, it was somehow nice to know he could scare away Romilda. Now he just needed as much confidence in his ability to woo Hermione.

A flash of red hair caught his eye, and he trotted across the road toward Harry and Ginny. "Oi! Harry, get your hands off my sister!"

Harry immediately tore his hand away from Ginny's and spun to find George laughing at them. Relief flooded Harry's features, and Ginny rolled her eyes, grasping Harry's hand once more.

"What's gotten into you?" Ginny asked her brother. "And why do you look so proud of yourself?"

"Just been tormenting my date from hell, nothing too exciting. Hey, have either of you seen Hermione around?" George asked, peering up the sidewalk in hope of seeing her.

"She's probably at the Three Broomsticks, or maybe in the bookshop," Harry replied.

"Of course! That's just where my little bookworm would be!"

"_Your_ little bookworm?" Ginny asked suspiciously.

"Yup!" George smiled happily as he turned to leave them. Pausing, he ran both hands roughly through Harry's hair, mussing up the gel encrusted style. "Seriously Harry, that makes you look like a git. Have a great day!"

George leapt past some younger students on his way to the pub. He almost paused to ask Ron if he had seen Hermione, but his baby brother was wrapped up in Lavender's bony arms as she cooed, "My sweet Won-Won!" George groaned in disgust and avoided the slobbery scene.

After pushing through the front door of the Three Broomsticks, it only took George a moment to spot Hermione. She was sitting in a booth, talking animatedly with Neville and Luna, and she couldn't have looked cuter to George. Her usually messy curls were pulled back, and her cheeks were rosy from butterbeer. She was even scrunching her nose and laughing in response to something Neville was saying.

George needed to be the one causing her to make such a cute face. He took off toward the table at a march, his previous wreck of a date completely forgotten. "Greetings!" he called as he approached the table, and Luna and Neville both returned his salutations. "Mind if I sit there?" he asked, gesturing to the bench next to Hermione with a smile.

"Yes, I do happen to mind," she replied, expressionlessly. "I'm enjoying lunch and a lovely conversation with two of my friends." Hermione definitely did not want to see George today, not when he'd been out with who knows which other girl.

"Well then maybe I could just take that seat when Luna and Neville here leave," George said unfazed, gesturing to the other side of the table.

Luna looked up at him with a calm, serene, somewhat distant look, and Neville eyed him nervously, edging himself toward the end of the bench.

"You'll do nothing of the sort!" Hermione snapped. "I was _enjoying_ myself before you got here, and I'd like to continue to do so without you here!" Her dark eyes flashed dangerously in response to George's crooked grin.

"Actually, Neville and I were just on our way to pick some of the Dirigible Plums near the Shrieking Shack," Luna sighed in a sing-song voice. "So in a few moments, this seat will be free. Ready Neville?"

Neville scooted quickly out of the booth, followed by Luna, and muttered his goodbyes to Hermione.

Just as soon as her friends were out of ear shot, Hermione jumped out of her seat. "What is your problem, George?" she asked sharply.

George tried to suppress his smile as he took the opposite bench, and Hermione dropped back down onto her own bench. He finally had her alone.

"I really need to talk to you about my date," George told her.

Hermione's eyes instantly narrowed, and she crossed her arms over her chest. "Your date?" she asked snippily.

"Yeah, I really seemed to make her upset, but I don't know what I did wrong," he answered, feigning innocence.

Hermione had really had it. "Oh, pray tell, George, whatever can I do to help you?"

Her voice was literally dripping with sarcasm as George continued. "Well, I ended up on a blind date with Romilda Vane."

George was surprised to see that Hermione's eyes could narrow further, and he almost laughed out loud at the picture she painted. She was angry. Very angry. But George couldn't help himself.

"Well, things started off just fine, but she didn't seem to be enjoying herself at Madam Puddifoot's."

Hermione scoffed. "You took her to Madam Puddifoot's?"

"Yup, but she didn't seem to like the way I ate my four sandwiches followed by her lunch. Also, she seemed unpleased with the way I picked food out of my teeth. And she _really_ didn't like the way I refused to pay for my meal. And did you know that girls get mad when you tell them their clothes look stupid and refuse to hold the door open for them? Apparently that's the worst." George winked at her.

He was using her own words against her, and she didn't know why. This didn't seem like George at all. He had been the only Gryffindor boy she had actually had any faith in! Unless he was just….

Hermione's jaw dropped, and she started laughing hysterically. "George Weasley! You're not the victim! You're the saboteur!"

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_I must apologize for taking AGES to update this story! And I must thank you for all of the reviews and the messages encouraging me to keep writing! I hope you enjoyed this update… there will be at least one more chapter. Thanks a bunch for reading! _


	10. Chapter 10

_Undateable by WeasleyForMe_

_Hermione knew better than to form a crush on any of the boys in Gryffindor house. They were all so undateable! If only there were something she could do about it... something other than fall for George!_

_Thanks to Clover Bay for inspiring and beta reading this story! _

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Chapter 10

Hermione's jaw dropped, and she started laughing hysterically. "George Weasley! You're not the victim! You're the saboteur!"

"I beg to differ! Hermione, I _was_ victimized!" George insisted. "I blame that good-for-nothing twin of mine you setting me up on the date in the first place, and then I also blame Romilda for being generally icky!"

"George, why would you agree to go on a date with her and then intentionally sabotage it?" Hermione asked once she had finally stopped laughing at the mental image of him obnoxiously picking food out of his teeth.

"I didn't agree to go on a date with _her_ at all," he insisted. "And after I found out you weren't going to start going out with Lee, I wanted to cancel the whole thing. But instead of being so completely rude as to cancel my blind date, I decided to be rude be wrecking the date while I was on it. I'm sure you can see where this was the much sweeter option for a gentleman to take," George told her with a wink as he leaned across the table to be closer to her.

"Actually, I think its worse that you waited until… Hold on just a minute! Why would I be going out with Lee?" Hermione gasped.

George sighed and slumped back on the bench further away from Hermione. "Because I saw Lee getting awfully feely with you in the Common Room. He was kissing you and whispering to you and you seemed downright joyful!"

Hermione sat quietly for a second and then burst into laughter. "George, Lee was just thanking me for helping him get his dream girl to go on a date with him! How could you mistake his thank you for him liking me? And why on earth would that matter if I was going out with Lee anyway…?"

"I was jealous!" George admitted loudly, flailing his arms in the air. His elbow collided with a waitress carrying a tray full of butterbeers to a group of sixth year Ravenclaws at the next table. He watched helplessly as the beverages flew through the air and covered Hermione and himself in the sticky liquid.

"I'm sorry!" George instantly apologized, jumping up and seating himself on the opposite bench with Hermione. He grabbed all of the napkins from the table and started to mop up Hermione's blouse and drenched hair. "I'm so sorry! It was all my fault! I can't believe I just did that to you!"

Hermione looked up at George's sincere face and lopsided smile as butterbeer dripped from the end of his nose. "Did you say you were jealous? Jealous of what?"

George sighed and licked his lips. "I was jealous, because I thought you really liked Lee and that you would find him more dateable than me."

"Lee belches the alphabet! And his shirt is always buttoned crookedly!"

"…. Some girls might like that," George managed weakly.

Hermione took his hand in hers; he was still absentmindedly wiping butterbeer from her outfit.

"Not me! You know what I like, because I told you! And I thought I had _showed_ you what I like when we were on the Astronomy tower…." Hermione trailed off, dropping her eye contact.

George's face lit up. "So, if you're definitely not into Lee, then I can take my own bloody advice, finally!"

"What are you talking about?" Hermione asked, just as George reached toward her and ran his fingers through her butterbeer coated hair.

"Shh," he whispered as his lips met hers in a sticky, sweet kiss. Hermione wrapped her arms around his neck and he scooted even closer to her on the bench. She parted her lips as the taste of butterbeer and the warmth of George invaded her senses.

"You do remember what I like," Hermione whispered as his lips left hers.

George chuckled. "I was paying attention the entire time, I swear. Now, tell me the truth. Why are you suddenly interested in Quidditch?" He had a smug look on his face, and Hermione glared at him.

"As I said before, I'm just interested in broadening my knowledge of the world around me," she said indignantly.

"That's a bunch of bollocks, and you know it!" George managed to slide himself even closer to her as he said, "I think it's because you fancy me, and you simply couldn't stop starting at me during practice."

"I was there to help Fred," Hermione insisted with a grin, knowing she was fighting a losing battle.

"Riiight, keep on telling yourself that, sunshine," George muttered.

"Well, now that you mention it, you're not too terrible looking, and I've never seen you picking lint out of your toes. Perhaps I'll come to the match against Ravenclaw and cheer for you."

George whooped and laughed. "You better!" He scooped her up and kissed her deeply in front of the entire lunch crowd at the Three Broomsticks. Hermione blushed and clung onto him for support as he literally knocked her off her feet with his kisses.

"George, people are starting to stare," Hermione whispered, noticing the shocked looks on some of her friends' faces.

"Better hurry back to the Astronomy Tower where we can be alone," he agreed with one of his award-winning smiles as he released his hold on her.

On their walk back to Hogwarts, Hermione finally admitted that George was in fact the reason for her sudden interest in Quidditch. He thanked her for her honesty by admitting that his manners had greatly improved in hopes of impressing her. Hand in butterbeer-covered hand, they made their way to the Astronomy Tower and got an early start on their homework.

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_The End!_

_Thank you very much for reading my story! I'm considering writing a sequel, perhaps. I hope you enjoyed it, because I really loved writing it! It's all too easy to pick on males, lol. _

_Now, pretty please, leave me a review :)_


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